title: Factors associated with disordered gambling in Finland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to compare the socio-demographic characteristics of non-problem gamblers, problem gamblers and pathological gamblers, to investigate the association between gambling related factors and perceived health and well-being among the three subgroups of gamblers, and to analyse simultaneously socio-demographic characteristics, gambling related factors and perceived health and well-being and the severity of disordered gambling (problem gamblers and pathological gamblers).
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were collected through a nationwide telephone survey in 2011. Participants were selected through a random population sample of 15-74-year-old Finns. From that sample, persons with any past-year gambling involvement (N = 3451) were selected for a subsample for the descriptive and inferential analysis in the present paper. Gambling was assessed using the South Oaks Gambling Screen. Statistical significance was determined by chi-squared tests. The odds ratio and effect size were computed by using multivariate-adjusted multinomial logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most significant socio-demographic characteristics (male gender, young age, education ≤ 12 years), gambling related factors (slot machine gambling, internet gambling) and perceived health and well-being (feeling lonely, smoking daily, risky alcohol consumption, mental health problems) explained 22.9 per cent of the variation in the severity of disordered gambling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Male gender and loneliness were found to be associated with problem gambling in particular, along with smoking and risky alcohol consumption. Mental health problems and risky alcohol consumption were associated with pathological gambling. These identified associations between disordered gambling, mental health problems and risky alcohol consumption should be taken into consideration when implementing screenings of disordered gambling.
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castrén
authors.forename: Syaron
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basnet
authors.forename: Anne H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Salonen
authors.forename: Maiju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pankakoski
authors.forename: Jenni-Emilia
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ronkainen
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alho
authors.forename: Tuuli
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lahti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005715:Gambling / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult